COVID-19: France fatalities, intensive care cases drop

PARIS

The week wound down as France kept vigilant against the coronavirus, with cases of infection and fatalities remaining low.

A total of 29 deaths in hospital were registered on Thursday, a drop by just one case over that on Wednesday, according to the latest statistics reported by the Health Ministry.

The total number of fatalities to date in hospitals is nearly 19,150. Fatalities in nursing homes ceased being reported, the last being recorded at 10,350.

Since the start of the outbreak, the death toll in France stands around 29,600 with confirmed cases of infection rising slightly, to 158,641, an increase of 467 cases over the previous day.

The number of hospitalizations remained the same on Thursday, with cases standing at 10,222. Those in intensive care fell to 752, down by 20 patients over Wednesday.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the beginning of record-keeping for the disease, 73,675 people have recovered in France from the disease and have returned home.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to 188 countries and regions across the world. Brazil and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed an excess of 450,700 people worldwide, with total infections reaching over 8.4 million, while more than 4.11 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.